2011 New Year's Subway Art Printable

2010 was definitely the year of subway art, so it's only fitting to end the year with one last fun printable. Place it in a simple frame and it'll make a great addition to your New Year's table decor. Download the FREE print from Custom Printables HERE

Free New Year's Disco Ball Party Printables

This fun & sassy New Year's disco ball party collection includes an invitation, cupcake toppers, banner, party labels and food tents!

Everything you need to throw a fabulous party to ring in 2011! Just download, print & decorate!

I'm loving the Tiffany Blue (and can't wait to pair it up with lots of silver accessories)! Get the free printables designed by Piggy Bank Parties at Catch My Party HERE

Warmest Wishes!

From our family to yours...

Wishing you a joyous holiday season
&
Happy New Year!

Cheers to 2011!
~Brandy

Coffee Mug Gingerbread House

Simply adorable! Surprise your family Christmas morning with a cup of hot chocolate adorned with a gingerbread house cookie! Get all the details from Not Martha

Melting Snowman Cookies

Meet my cute little snowman cookie friends!

If you're still needing to bake some holiday treats, these cookies are sure to be a huge hit!

Made with a classic sugar cookie recipe and topped with royal icing (allow the frosting to dribble down the cookie for a puddle effect). The marshmallow heads are popped into the microwave for 20 seconds to give it a wonky shape. Add final features using decorative icing.

My lovely little assistant!

The little ones love to help make the cookies but don't be surprised if they eat more than they make :)


Happy Holidays!

Magic Reindeer Food

If you're planning on having a children's holiday party or sending treats to their school, Reindeer Food is guaranteed to be a big hit with the little ones! It's great to get them involved with making it and start a new holiday tradition.

On Christmas Eve, sprinkle this magic reindeer food on your lawn. The sparkle of the glitter in the moonlight & the smell of the oats will guide Rudolph to your house!

Want to create some too? Feel free too download my label HERE.

What you'll need:

Dry oatmeal

Glitter*

Cellophane treat bags

Labels

*Another option is to use colored sugar. It will still give the sparkly appearance, without being harmful to actual animals who may end up eating it.

Sprinkle it on the lawn, driveway, or apartment patio to entice the reindeer and give them something to munch on while Santa delivers his sleigh of goodies.

Reindeer Food is perfect for those (young & old) who love the magical Christmas season!

Happy Holidays!

I'm linking to these fabulous parties!

DIY Snowman Kit

This is such a fun idea!

Being a California girl, I've only touched snow maybe 4 or 5 times in my entire life (some say I'm winter deprived, some say I'm lucky. Haha)! So being that I've never made a snowman, I'm loving this DIY kit idea from Make It Do. What a cute (and affordable) gift the whole family can enjoy. Get the details HERE

Christmas Preschool Printables

Homeschool Creations has an adorable FREE Gingerbread Baby Preschool Pack filled with all sorts of fun activities. Get it HERE

Confessions of a Homeschooler put together some fun FREE Christmas activities for preschoolers. Get the printables HERE

I printed several of the these and gave them to my daughter's preschool teacher. It's so fun hearing her tell us how she & her classmates had a blast doing the projects and learning from them.

Minty Chocolatey Cookie Goodness!

Tis the season for holiday baking and cookie exchanges!
If you need a quick and easy recipe (my favorite words these days!) then you've got to give these a try. The chocolate chunks and touch of mint make for a perfect combination!

INGREDIENTS
1 pouch Betty Crocker Sugar Cookie Mix
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon mint extract
6 to 8 drops green food color
1 egg
1 cup creme de menthe baking chips
1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks


1. Heat oven to 350F. In a large bow, stir cookie mix, butter, extract, food color and egg until soft dough forms. Stir in creme de menthe baking chips and chocolate chunks

2. Using teaspoon, drop dough 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes until set. Cool 3 minutes; remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Serve warm or cool completely. Store tightly covered at room temperature.

For an extra special touch, drizzle cooled cookies with melted chocolate

Yields 36 cookies.

Photo: bettycrocker.com

Free Personalized Video From Santa

Love this! You can send a FREE personalized video from Santa from the Portable North Pole (PNP) to anyone you like from toddlers to adults. A fun Christmas surprise to send to someone or let the kids watch their very own video over (and over and over) again! Go HERE to get started!

Snowmen Cupcakes

Tis the season for yummy treats (yahoo)!

If your short on time or just not the baker-type, you can whip up these adorable snowmen cupcakes using store-bought cupcakes!

• Dip frosted cupcakes in sparkling sugar
• Use mini M&M's for the eyes
• Candy orange slice halves for noses
• Gumdrops and licorice for the earmuffs
• And pink sprinkles for rosey cheeks

(photo: AllYou.com)

Holiday Boutique Is Here!

50 Amazing Shops

with

50 Fabulous Discounts

Including Your's Truly

(Buy 3 items, get the 4th item free)!

I'm so excited to once again take part in the Ucreate Holiday Boutique!

It's a great place to find some incredible handmade gifts from amazing & talented artists.

Let's start shopping!

Free Holiday Card Templates

Download these gorgeous card templates from Florabella for FREE! Perfect for the holidays, but they can also be used year round. All the front of cards can be used like frames. Get the templates HERE and start creating!

Toddler Turkey Hand Tee

Here's a modern twist to the Thanksgiving hand turkey! My daughter and I made this last year and we had so much fun I wanted to share it again!

Gobble ~ Gobble!

(Look at that sweet little face! I can't believe how much she's grown in one year!)

We followed the tutorial from Treasures For Tots as our guide. Using fabric scraps, ribbons & buttons, w made the whole thing in less than one hour & the best part... No sewing involved (woot)!

Hope you & your family have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Starbucks: BOGO Free Holiday Drinks

Starting Thursday, November 18 all holiday drinks at Starbucks are Buy 1, Get 1 FREE! The offer is good daily between 2pm - 5pm and runs through November 21st. I'm so hooked on Venti Peppermint Mocha's that I usually buy 2 at a time, so this is a great deal!

Caramel Brulee Latte, Peppermint Mocha, Peppermint White Chocolate Mocha, Peppermint Hot Chocolate, Gingerbread Latter, Eggnog Latte, Caramel Brulee Frappuccino, or Peppermint Mocha Frappuccino.

What's your favorite drink?

Also Starbucks has an upcoming "12 Day of Sharing" promo. Just text 12DAYS to 29943 to sign up. You'll receive one offer per day starting on December 1st (standard text messaging rates apply). I can't wait to see what they offer.

Thanksgiving Black-Bottom Pumpkin Tart

Ready for a dressed up version of a Thanksgiving classic? The chocolate cookie crust is the perfect compliment to the pumpkin filling. YUM!

Black-Bottom Pumpkin Tart

Ingredients:

• CRUST:
• 1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafers (about 30)
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
• FILLING:
• 1 15-oz. can 100 percent pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• pinch of salt

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 375°F; line a baking sheet with foil. Make crust: Combine wafers, cocoa powder and sugar in a food processor. Process until finely ground, about 20 seconds. Add butter and pulse until mixture just clumps together. Transfer to a 9-inch tart pan with a removable bottom and press firmly onto bottom and sides to form a crust. Place on lined baking sheet and bake until slightly firm to the touch and fragrant, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet to a wire rack; reduce oven temperature to 350°F.

2. Make filling: Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl; whisk until blended. Place baking sheet with crust on oven rack and ladle just enough filling into crust to come up to the rim. (Do not overfill.) Bake until a knife inserted into center of tart comes out clean, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly, then chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Give Thanks!

Want to bless someone with a little gift for Thanksgiving?
Now you can give thanks with these simple favor tags - perfect for teacher, neighbor & hostess gifts! Download the FREE printables from It Is What It Is HERE.

Personalized Photo Ornaments - $1.99 Shipped

Looking for a fun personalized gift? ArtsCow is offering Personalized Photo Ornaments for $1.99 with FREE Shipping when you use code ORNTS2010 at checkout. After doing a little research I learned the ornaments are ceramic and had very positive reviews.

I ordered 4 & my total was just $7.96. The offer is valid on single-sided personalized ornaments only. They are shipped from overseas, so I suggest ordering them soon to make sure they arrive in time for Christmas.

Give A Hoot For The Holidays

How cute are these little guys? Every Christmas, I buy an ornament that reminds me of something special for that year. This year seems to be the year of the owl for me, so I'm going to make one (or two, or ten) of these adorable woodland friends. Aside from tree ornaments, these would be fun party favors, gift tags, etc.

Get the tutorial & details from Juicy Bits HERE!

Hip Holiday Cards

Christmas is just around the corner (44 days to be exact!). Now that I'm a parent, one of the joys of the holiday is sending Christmas cards to friends & family with an updated photo of our little gal. But I tend to stress myself out by trying to make each card fun & fabulous. Choosing the perfect photos can be a challenge. This year I'm going a different route (attempting to make my life easier) and using my favorite online printing store, Shutterfly. I'm going to use them for my holiday photo cards, Christmas party invites & holiday gift tags. I love one-stop shopping especially when I can do it my pajamas! Plus they have a great selection and their prices are reasonable. I am also a big fan of the quality of their cards – not to mention their prints and photo books…

Here are a few of my favorites:

Starlight Snowflakes

Retro Ornaments Photo Card

Clever Rudolph Gift Tag

If you aren’t already signed up with Shutterfly, sign up now and get 50 4x6 FREE prints. Then be sure to check out their latest holiday cards – in addition to Christmas cards – they offer Hanukkah, New Year’s, thank you cards and more!

Are you blogger? You can receive 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly. Just click HERE for information on how you can get 50 free cards this holiday season!

So are you a procrastinator or have you already started your holiday cards?

Free Flip Flops with Orbit Gum Purchase

Here's a fun new promo! Get a FREE pair of Tropical Flip Flops when you purchase Orbit gum! All you need to do is go HERE and click on the “Redeem Now” link, then enter the lot code number (on the side of the Orbit gum package). Finally, choose your design, size and fill out your mailing info. Now just wait 10-12 weeks for your flip flops to arrive!

This promo is sure to go fast, so don't wait!

Popcorn Paper Bag Turkey

This Thanksgiving add this adorable treat to the kids table. So cute & clever! Our preschool has a little turkey day feast & this is perfect for my daughter to bring. What kid wouldn't love this?!

Head over to One Charming Party to get the directions on how to make this adorable popcorn paper bag turkey!

Sustainable Party In A Box

This is awesome! Do you have a large grassy field or vacant lot? Yes? Then have a sustainable party with one of these solar powered pop up mobile venues disguised as a shipping container. In about 20 minutes (and with smooth moves like a transformer), the container opens up to reveal clean modern lines, a chic bar, bamboo dance floor, adjustable awnings and much more. I sooo want to have a party with one of these! Get more info here

Lunch Note Printables

Get these super sweet free lunch note printables from Paper & Pomegranates. Just download, print, fill out & pop into your little ones school lunch - sure to put a smile on their face!

Coffee Filter Cobwebs

Create Halloween cobwebs using household coffee filters. Cute, easy & inexpensive. Get the details from Mega Spooky HERE!

DIY Halloween Table Decor

Make these modern Halloween candle holders & floral centerpiece out of tomato sauce cans! They are sure to make your home look spooktacular!

Get instructions and the free printable labels from Living Locurto HERE.

Spooky Boo Bags

Check out these BOO-tiful bags! Perfect for Halloween treats & super simple to make! If your planning on having a Halloween party, these would be cute favor bags for the guests. Get all the details HERE from How Does She via eighteen25.

Free Halloween Printables

If your a fan of the "Keep Calm & Carry On" posters, then these are the perfect addition to your Halloween decor! Head over to Craftily Ever After & download the FREE printables HERE & HERE!

Owl Mini Candy-Bar Wrappers

Aren't these owl candy wrappers a hoot!?
With a 3 year old that's terrified of most things Halloween, it's refreshing to see something for the holiday that's less scary & more fun. Print them up and wrap them around mini candy bars. Perfect for younger trick or treaters! Get the free printable from Trillustrations HERE!